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A deep corridor appeared behind the door, its end disappearing into the thick darkness, its exact depth impossible to discern. The air that wafted in suddenly became much fresher, carrying the cool dampness unique to the depths of the underground, clearly indicating a more sophisticated ventilation system here.

Yi Huawei remained expressionless and was about to step inside.

Just as his left foot stepped over the threshold, before it even touched the ground—

"Snap! Crack! Crack!"

A series of rapid, sudden mechanical banging sounds erupted from the darkness deep within the corridor without warning!

Dan Wanjing's expression suddenly changed, her pupils contracted sharply, and before she could even cry out, dozens of cold stars shot out from the depths of darkness in her sight!

Those were no ordinary arrows. Each one was almost as thick as a child's arm, forged entirely from refined steel, with a cold, triangular, armor-piercing arrowhead and a shaft far thicker and longer than those used in standard crossbows. They weren't fired from a single point, but rather covered the entire space at the corridor entrance, coming from all directions, with overwhelming force and speed, leaving only blurry afterimages. The piercing whistling sound they generated reverberated and amplified repeatedly within the enclosed underground space, creating a chilling shriek!

Driven by a precision mechanism, this super crossbow contains kinetic energy and destructive power that far exceeds that of a powerful bow or crossbow drawn by manpower by a hundred times! Even the best martial arts masters would likely be riddled with holes in an instant when faced with such a sudden, dense, and powerful barrage!
In a flash, Yi Huawei's left foot didn't retract; instead, it landed firmly on the floor inside the doorway. Facing the oncoming rain of steel arrows, powerful enough to pierce metal and stone, he didn't even flinch. Just as the foremost crossbow bolt was about to touch his robes, he casually flicked his right sleeve forward.

Those dozens of steel crossbow bolts, carrying terrifying power, seemed to suddenly crash into an invisible, intangible yet extremely viscous force field. The fierce momentum was as if gently accepted, guided, and deflected by an invisible hand.

A series of dense and muffled "do-do-do-do" sounds rang out one after another!

Without exception, all the crossbow bolts deviated from their original targets, grazing past Yi Huawei and Shan Wanjing's bodies and embedding themselves deeply into the incredibly hard granite walls on either side!

The arrow fletchings trembled violently from the immense impact and sudden stop, emitting a lingering buzzing sound. Each bolt had sunk nearly halfway into the stone wall, demonstrating the terrifying power of the previous strike.

The corridor fell silent once more, save for the faint hum of the trembling arrow shafts and the lingering sharp wind in the air, testifying to the breathtaking moment that had just passed.

Dan Wanjing's tense nerves slowly relaxed, and she gently exhaled a breath she had been holding for a long time. Looking at the neatly arranged, trembling clusters of arrows on the stone walls on either side, and then at the back of the figure ahead, whose clothes were perfectly intact, she felt a lingering fear: "Master… this trap… anyone else would probably have never returned…"

Yi Huawei's gaze swept over the arrow shafts embedded in the stone wall, his tone as calm as water: "Yang Su certainly spared no expense. These crossbow bolts are all made of finely forged steel. It would be rare for an ordinary soldier to get even one, but he used them to set up traps, and fired dozens at once."

His gaze then fell upon the still-dark area deep within the corridor.

"Follow my lead closely, and don't make a single mistake."

Yi Huawei took out a tinderbox and gently shook it. The dim light dispelled a small patch of darkness in front of him, and he walked deeper into the corridor, holding the tinderbox. Shan Wanjing followed closely behind, her eyes warily scanning the surrounding walls and floor.

At the end of the corridor, another passage appears on the left, leading to an unknown space.

With a sigh of relief, Shan Wanjing blurted out, "We're here!"

As soon as she spoke, she realized she had let her guard down too soon, and immediately fell silent, observing the new corridor with even greater caution. However, the path was unexpectedly calm, with no mechanisms triggered.

After passing through this short corridor, the space suddenly opened up before them. Yi Huawei raised a tinderbox high, and the flickering light gradually illuminated the vast underground space.

Dan Wanjing stared intently, her face immediately showing astonishment. What surprised her was not the abundance of rare treasures before her, quite the opposite—there was so little here. This was worlds apart from the Yang Gong Treasury she had imagined, a treasure trove enough to support a large army and be as wealthy as a nation.

This was a spacious, sealed stone chamber. Ventilation holes were carved into the four corners of the ceiling, allowing for proper air circulation despite the musty smell. More than a dozen large wooden crates were neatly arranged on either side of the floor, their lids tightly shut. Dozens of weapon racks stood against the walls, filled with various weapons such as knives, spears, swords, and halberds, along with several bundles of longbows and quivers. However, both the crates and the weapons were covered in a thick layer of dust; the metal parts were generally covered with dark red rust, and the wooden parts showed signs of mold and insect infestation. These weapons were of ordinary quality; even in their newest form, they would have been far from being formidable weapons, and now they were practically scrap metal—they would probably be unwanted even if given away for free.

Shan Wanjing looked up at Yi Huawei, her eyes filled with confusion: "Master, what's going on? Is this what the world-renowned Yang Gong Treasure Vault looks like? Even if these weapons aren't rusted, they can only equip a few hundred people at most."

Yi Huawei did not answer immediately. Instead, he walked to a wooden box and lifted the lid. Inside, the box was lined with yellowed and brittle silk floss, on which were placed various jade artifacts, bronze antiques, and jewelry. Under the firelight, they reflected a dim luster, indicating that they had once been quite valuable.

They opened the remaining dozen or so boxes one by one, and the contents were all similar, filled with various rare and antique items. Shan Wanjing frowned and pondered, "If we were to transport these dozen or so boxes out, they might make ordinary people extremely wealthy, but they would never be enough to conquer the world and achieve hegemony. I suspect that these were probably items that Yang Su secretly pocketed when he confiscated the property of his ministers. However, in this chaotic world, it will probably be extremely difficult to sell these items safely."

"This is a fake warehouse."

Yi Huawei said calmly, without the slightest surprise in his tone: "Our purpose was never this gold and silver."

His gaze swept over the treasures, his expression calm and undisturbed. The unassuming storage bracelet on his wrist held wealth far exceeding what was found here. His sole objective was the Demonic Sect's supreme treasure—the Evil Emperor's Relic.

Yi Huawei turned to look at Shan Wanjing, a slight smile playing on his lips: "This time, I really need to test your skills. You've seen the details of the treasure map drawn by Master Lu. In your opinion, how should we find the entrance to the true vault now?"

Dan Wanjing raised an eyebrow, awakened by her master's suggestion. She immediately stood up, straining her eyes to carefully examine every inch of the walls and every floor tile of the fake vault, tapping and listening for any hollow sounds or gaps. However, after a thorough search, she found nothing. She sat down, concentrating her thoughts, her mind racing as she recalled the diagrams of mechanisms she had seen.

Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she looked up and said, "The real vault is definitely not inside the fake vault. If we can get through the stone wall riddled with arrow holes, we might be able to find a way to the real vault."

The two returned to the wall riddled with arrow holes. Behind the wall lay the long corridor they had come from and the now-closed steel door at its end.

Dan Wanjing cautiously approached an arrow hole, peering inside. She then jerked back, gasping, "Master! There seem to be crossbow bolts ready to fire deep inside! This wall isn't very thick, and the gaps between the arrow holes are at least a foot wide. Perhaps... this entire wall itself is a hidden door. The treasure map records seven or eight methods for installing movable walls; I can try them one by one."

As he spoke, his tone became urgent: "The first method is called 'inward pushing.' If there are hidden axles at the bottom of the wall, they may slide inward under force, revealing the broad road leading to the real treasure land."

As she spoke, she channeled her inner strength, raised her hands, and carefully pushed them towards the cold stone wall.

Just as she exerted her strength—

"Snap! Crack! Crack!"

The cold, mechanical sound suddenly rang out again!

Startled, Shan Wanjing instinctively retreated towards the corridor leading to the fake vault. In her panic, the tinder slipped from her hand, struck the right wall, and extinguished instantly, scattering sparks.

At the same time, more than ten powerful arrows shot out from the arrow holes in the wall with a terrifying whistling sound, and slammed into the steel door opposite them!

"boom!"

With a muffled thud, the door with the steel ring suddenly closed by itself, completely blocking out the faint blue light from the luminous pearl outside.

The entire world was instantly plunged into absolute, pitch-black darkness. The lingering sound of arrows piercing the air echoed in their ears, and the acrid smell of gunpowder and dust filled the air.

"Master!" Shan Wanjing cried out in alarm in the darkness, her heart pounding.

The next instant, she felt a warm hand gently cover her mouth, preventing her from making any louder noises. At the same time, another flame lit up beside her, dispelling the darkness once more. Yi Huawei had somehow retrieved a new tinderbox and lit it.

By the firelight, Shan Wanjing saw that her master did not move, but simply raised his leg and kicked the wall riddled with arrow holes in a specific spot with a light kick.

"Dang Dang Dang!"

A series of crisp metallic clanging sounds came from inside the wall, seemingly the sound of some mechanism being forcibly jammed. Yi Huawei didn't stop, and swiftly kicked out twice more. A few short "clicks" came from inside the wall, then complete silence followed; the deadly wall of arrows no longer reacted.

Yi Huawei then walked to the side of the stone wall, pressed his palm against a slightly protruding, inconspicuous stone brick, and pressed down hard. The stone brick sank into the wall to a depth of about two inches.

Dan Wanjing was overjoyed: "There really are axles down there! Now all we need to do is lift the wall up, and we should be able to open the trapdoor!"

She took a deep breath, calmed her inner energy, and stepped forward. She inserted the index fingers of her left and right hands into two symmetrical arrow holes, silently channeling her inner strength into her arms, and slowly lifted them upwards.

"Squeak—creak—"

A sickening, grinding sound of old axles rubbing together came from inside the wall. Sure enough, the heavy stone wall slowly rose with her force.

Holding a tinderbox, Yi Huawei bent down first and crawled under the rising stone wall.

Dan Wanjing followed closely behind, and upon closer inspection, she saw a neat, square stone chamber, about twenty paces wide on each side. The air inside was noticeably more ventilated and drier than outside, and the flickering light of the torch steadily illuminated this new space.

The tinderbox in Yi Huawei's hand burned steadily, clearly revealing the scene inside the square stone chamber.

The stone chamber's walls were smooth, a stark contrast to the rough texture of the fake warehouse, clearly indicating meticulous restoration. The floor was paved with massive, tightly fitted bluestone slabs. Although the air was stale, it was dry and cool, without any musty smell, demonstrating excellent sealing and ventilation.

Dan Wanjing took a deep breath, suppressing her earlier excitement, and began to carefully examine the new stone chamber. She felt along the walls inch by inch, her fingertips tracing the cold stone surface, trying to find any possible cracks, protrusions, or unusual features. She tapped each floor tile, listening intently to the echo, trying to determine whether it was solid or hollow underneath.

However, after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn had passed, Shan Wanjing had checked almost every inch of the place she could reach, but still found nothing. The stone wall and the ground were seamlessly integrated, as if they were carved from a single, solid boulder, with no mechanism or clues whatsoever.

Dan Wanjing couldn't help but feel discouraged. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she turned to look at Yi Huawei, her tone tinged with confusion: "Master, we've searched everywhere, but there doesn't seem to be any mechanism or hub. Could this be another dead end? Or is the entrance not here at all?"

Yi Huawei's gaze calmly swept across the entire stone chamber, finally settling on the empty floor in the center. He slowly walked to the center and gently tapped the bluestone slab under his feet with his toes.

"The key is not always on the wall. Sometimes, the most conspicuous yet easily overlooked place is the key. Try to see how this stone slab is different from the surrounding ones."

Upon hearing this, Shan Wanjing immediately bent down and approached. She stretched out her hands and carefully touched the edge of the bluestone slab where her master was standing. At first, she did not notice anything unusual, but when she infused her fingertips with a trace of internal energy and carefully sensed along the gaps in the slab, she finally discovered a very subtle difference—the gap at the edge of this central slab seemed to be slightly wider than the gaps in the surrounding slabs, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, and could only be perceived by her internal energy as an extremely faint airflow.

"The gap is a little too wide!"

Dan Wanjing looked up, a flash of understanding in her eyes: "This means it's not completely sealed off from the surrounding stone slabs; there might be room for movement!"

"good."

Yi Huawei nodded: "But directly prying or applying heavy pressure may trigger other defense mechanisms. Think about Master Lu's methods; he advocates 'going with the flow' rather than 'breaking through by force'."

Dan Wanjing concentrated, her mind racing as she recalled the complex mechanical diagrams. She tried placing her palm flat on the center of the stone slab, not pressing down, but slowly rotating it clockwise. The stone slab remained motionless.

She tried rotating it counterclockwise. Still, there was no response.

After a moment's hesitation, Shan Wanjing tried to pull the stone slab upwards by gripping the almost non-existent gap with her five fingers. The stone slab was extremely heavy; even with her internal strength, she could only make it loosen very slightly, and she couldn't lift it at all.

"It's not rotation, nor is it a direct lift..."

Dan Wanjing muttered to herself, carefully examining the connection between the stone slab and its surroundings once more. Suddenly, she noticed that at the center of each of the four edges of the stone slab, there seemed to be an extremely tiny indentation, about the size of a pinhole, almost completely filled with dust.

With a thought, Shan Wanjing extended her right index finger, gathering a wisp of extremely pure internal energy at its tip. She carefully probed the energy into one of the indentations. The energy penetrated no more than half an inch before seemingly touching the tip of some mechanism.

She followed the same method, treating the remaining three indentations in the same way. When the fourth indentation was also touched by internal force, a very faint, almost inaudible "click" sound rang out in the stone chamber.

Dan Wanjing tried to lift the stone slab again. This time, the slab came up easily! It wasn't lifted as a whole, but rather like a tightly sealed lid, which she steadily lifted about a foot up, revealing a dark hole below and a chiller blast of air. It turned out that this was a movable lid that required a clever use of all four hidden locks to open.

Below the cave entrance, instead of a bottomless abyss, there was a stone staircase leading downwards, its destination unknown.

"Great! Let's go."

Yi Huawei crouched down first and stepped down the stone steps. Shan Wanjing followed closely behind and gently put the stone slab back in place to avoid leaving any marks.

The stone steps descended steeply. The two walked one after the other. A cold, damp wind, carrying moisture and the smell of earth, surged from the depths of the passage, causing the tinderbox light to flicker violently.

This newly discovered passage was exceptionally wide, allowing several people to walk side by side. The ground, walls, and ceiling were all constructed of massive bluestone slabs, the craftsmanship of which was clearly more meticulous and refined than any passage I had seen before.

The passage stretched forward, disappearing into the deep darkness, its exact length difficult to determine. Even more striking was the distinct sound of flowing water in the air—a soft patter, sometimes a gentle murmur, sometimes a roar—clearly indicating the presence of an underground river nearby, and perhaps even a section of the passage bordering one.

The two entered the wide corridor and walked forward along the passage. The tinder in Yi Huawei's hand was the only source of light, opening up a small patch of dim yellow light in the boundless darkness.

After walking about three miles, the passage was winding and the sound of water was sometimes near and sometimes far. Sometimes, you could even feel a slight vibration from the stone slabs under your feet, indicating that the underground river had a large flow and was flowing continuously.

Finally, the passage came to an end. Ahead lay a huge circular stone chamber. The chamber was spacious, with a high-pitched dome, exuding a magnificent aura. In the center of the chamber stood a circular stone table, also carved from a single massive rock, its surface as smooth as a mirror. Around the table were eight evenly spaced stone stools.

Yi Huawei stepped forward and brought the tinder close to the stone tabletop. On the table, an incredibly detailed map, complete with illustrations and text, was meticulously engraved. The map clearly outlined the entire underground structure of the Yang Gong Treasure Vault, including the fake vault they had just passed through, the mechanical corridors, and this long underground passage. Even more astonishingly, the map precisely marked the correspondence between key nodes within the treasure vault and the various wards, palaces, and streets of Chang'an City on the surface; its level of detail was breathtaking.

Around this perfectly circular underground chamber, there are four rather ordinary-looking wooden doors evenly distributed, each facing one of the four directions.

Yi Huawei bent down and took out the prepared flint, tinder, and tinder from under the stone table. With practiced movements, he lit the tinder and then lit the eight bronze wall lamps distributed on the surrounding stone walls one by one.

Eight lamps were lit simultaneously, and the steady light instantly illuminated the entire circular stone chamber as bright as day, making every detail clearly visible.

Under the bright lights, the two began searching room by room. Pushing open the first wooden door, they found themselves in an extremely spacious stone chamber, easily a hundred paces square. Inside, countless sturdy wooden crates of the same size were neatly stacked. Opening the crates, they found them filled with countless spearheads, polished to a gleaming shine, their shafts carefully bound together—so many that it was impossible to estimate their quantity at a glance.

The second stone chamber was equally enormous, containing thousands of wooden crates filled with various short and long-handled weapons, including swords, halberds, and axes. The weapons gleamed coldly and were remarkably well-preserved.

The third stone chamber was similar in size to the previous one, and it contained a large quantity of armor and crossbows. Rows of powerful crossbows were neatly arranged, wrapped in oilcloth. Arrows were piled up like mountains, and leather quivers were stacked into walls. A rough estimate suggests that there were at least three or four thousand powerful crossbows alone, along with countless arrows.

The fourth stone chamber was filled with treasures. Primarily gold, large quantities of gold bricks and ingots were stacked on specially made low shelves, reflecting a dazzling brilliance under the lights. There were also numerous chests containing strings of pearls, various gemstones, and exquisite gold and jade artifacts.

All the weapons and equipment were carefully wrapped in specially made oilcloth for corrosion and moisture protection, and then placed inside thousands of exceptionally sturdy wooden crates. Thanks to proper preservation, despite the passage of time, the vast majority of these weapons remain as good as new and still look formidable.

Dan Wanjing's gaze swept over the exquisite weaponry, enough to equip a formidable army of ten thousand, and then over the mountain of gold and jewels. Even with her extensive knowledge and background from the Dongming Sect, she couldn't help but hold her breath, staring in stunned silence at the sight before her. Only now did she truly understand the weight of the four characters "Yang Gong's Treasure Trove," a weight that could shake the world. (End of Chapter)